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Main road near Carlisle closed after bus catches fire

Fire severely damaged a Stagecoach bus on the A7 between Blackford and Harker, near Carlisle.

A passenger on the 7.10pm Dumfries-Carlisle service noticed smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle and alerted the driver who stopped and evacuated the bus.

Nobody was injured but the fire took hold.

Firefighters say the back of bus was destroyed. Two fire appliances from Carlisle attended the blaze, which closed the road.

Melted plastic had to be cleared from the carriageway. The A7 re-opened just after 10pm.

Stagecoach sent another vehicle to rescue the stranded passengers.

A spokesman said: “There was an incident on one of our buses operating on Service 79 yesterday evening. An investigation has started to determine the cause of this incident.

"Our driver promptly evacuated the vehicle, there were no injuries sustained by any party. We would like to reassure our customers that such incidents are extremely rare and that our investigation into the cause will be thorough and that all such matters are reported.”